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Garmin GPSMAP 62S Handheld GPS Navigator
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Apisphere Geomate Jr. Handheld Geocaching GPS
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Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator
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Geocaching With Kids
August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Geocaching with kids can be a pleasurable adventure for families. It helps children learn to appreciate nature while they are getting some much-needed exercise. Nearly all kids will cringe at the thought of going on a hike. Yet if you take them geocaching, they don’t mind all the walking. In fact, they are eager to do it. In addition, children love the idea of a treasure hunt.
Here are 15 tips for geocaching with kids to help guarantee your entire family has a great time.
- Let your kids decide on their own signature name to use to sign the logbooks in the caches they find. If they are old enough, let them join geocaching.com and create their own account so they will be able to log their own finds.
- If possible, get your kids their own GPS. There are low-priced units like the Geomate Jr that are perfect for children. If you have to share one, make sure your kids take turns navigating to the cache.
- When searching for caches to hunt for, pay special attention to difficulty and terrain ratings on the cache descriptions to rule out the ones that may be too difficult for your kids to finish. Also make sure to check for hints. Take a minute to glance at the earlier logs to make sure the cache has been found recently. Geocaching is no fun for kids if they can’t recover the cache because it was too difficult or the cache is missing.
- While micro caches can be enjoyable due to the challenge of finding something so small, kids possibly won’t like them as much for the reason that they don’t have room for trading items. When geocaching with kids, it’s best to pick out regular size caches to guarantee your children get the most enjoyment.
- Instruct kids to be discrete when searching for geocaches. Muggles, (non-geocachers) can be suspicious of your activities if they are {not familiar with|unaware of|unacquainted with the game of geocaching. Instruct your children to be subtle around other people when searching for the cache. Stick to caches located in parks and wooded areas.
- Bear in mind that kids tend to walk slower and tire more easily than adults. You may not have a chance to get to every cache that you had planned to visit. Try hunting for those a different day.
- Let every child pack a small backpack with trade items to take along on your geocaching hunts. If each child has their own trade items, there is less likely to be any bickering, which makes for a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Good SWAG items are Happy Meal toy, bouncy balls, sticker sheets, and small toys that you find at the dollar store. Be sure that all your trade items are in well-sealed plastic bags in case the cache becomes wet.
- Make sure to bring along a water bottle for everybody in the family. Since geocaching typically involves a lot of hiking, you want to guarantee that everyone has an adequate amount of water to drink. It is critical to stay hydrated, even on cooler days. It is a good idea to purchase a reusable water bottle for all family members for use each time you go out geocaching. A carabineer clip is useful to attach the water bottles to backpacks, especially if the lids get tired of hauling theirs around.
- Bring a snack along for everyone. Long hikes can burn up a lot of calories. Having a healthy snack along the way can give everyone the energy to keep going. Granola bars and fresh fruit are some good choices.
- Carry a small first aid kit with you. Hand sanitizer and tweezers are a valuable addition. Scratches and scrapes are inevitable when you are out geocaching with kids, especially if you are in a heavily wooded area. With a first aid kit, you will be able to take care of minor injuries on the trail. The tweezers will come in handy if you encounter any ticks or splinters. Bug repellent is also a must.
- After you have been geocaching for awhile, let your kids pick up travel bugs to help them on their way. These are not typical trade items. They include a tag with a code on them and are meant to move from cache to cache. Some travel bugs may have specific goals, while others may just want to accumulate miles. Be sure to log the travel bug on the geocaching website using the code on the tag. Then move it to another cache as soon as possible.
- Let your kids circulate their own travel bug. Using trackable tags from the Geocaching Website, you can make a travel bug out of just about anything that is small enough to fit into a cache. Children like tracking how many states and countries their travel bug visits.
- Think about choosing a family mascot such as a small stuffed animal or action figure. Take your mascot and a camera along and take a picture of the mascot with the cache and any scenic views you encounter along the journey. Create a scrapbook or Facebook page to share your adventures.
- Help your kids create their own signature items to leave as a “calling card” to let future geocachers know they were at the cache. Good signature items for beginners are wooden nickels or pencils stamped with your trail name.
- Let your kids establish their own signature item collection. Lots of geocachers leave signature items in caches they visit. You kids will take pleasure in the tangible reminders of all their geocaching adventures.
With a little advance planning, geocaching with kids can be a wonderful experience for the entire family, and can help create treasured memories that will last a lifetime.
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Best GPS For Geocaching
August 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Ask a dozen geocachers, “What is the best GPS for geocaching?” and you’ll most likely get a dozen different answers. You might be surprised to learn that there is no best GPS for geocaching, rather what is the best geocaching GPS for you.
Currently the GPS brands most popular among geocachers are Garmin, Delorme, Magellan and Lowrance. If you’re considering a bacic no frills geocaching GPS you should investigate the Geomate Jr. Geomate is a relatively inexpensive GPS that comes pre-loaded with 250,000 geocache coordinates, but lacks the features of other units. It is a great unit for kids who want a GPS of their own. All of today’s geocaching GPS manufactures make good reliable units, the challenge is deciding which features do you really need and which are nice options. You can also find car GPS and cell phone apps but here we will only be discussing GPS units specificly designed for hiking and geocaching. With GPS prices ranging from around $50 for a basic model, to upwards of $500 or more, purchasing your first GPS for geocaching is a serious consideration. A little research now can save you a lot of money (and disappointment) later on.
Personally I recommend the Garmin GPSMAP 60CXs, I’ve had mine since 2008 and will never get rid it.
Here is a list of what I consider to be the minimum features for the best GPS for geocaching
- Accuracy: Accuracy is not generally considered to be a major point of difference between different GPS receivers since they all get their readings from the same set of satellites. However a WAAS enabled are the most accurate. WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) was developed by the Federal Aviation Administration as an air navigation aid developed to augment the Global Positioning System (GPS), with the goal of improving its accuracy, integrity, and availability. This article from Wikipedia explains in more detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Area_Augmentation_System (article will open in a new window)
- Durability: I can tell you from experience that, sooner or later, you will drop your geocaching GPS and, sooner or later, it will get wet! (just one of the reasons I don’t suggest you go geocaching with a cell phone or a car GPS) So be sure to look for a GPS that is rugged and waterproof (or at least water resistant)
- Good Battery Life: The best way to ruin a day of geocaching is to have to abandon your search because you ran out of battery power. Good battery life is also a major safety factor. After a day of geocaching especially in rugged terrain, you will need your GPS to get you back to safety. Look for a GPS that uses replaceable AA or AAA batteries, and always carry a spare set with you. Rechargeable lithium batteries are a good choice as they last much longer than regular alkaline batteries.
- Backlit Display: While easily readable in full sun if you happen to be in an area with dense tree cover, especially on a cloudy day you want to have a backlit display. This is absolutely essential if you happen to get caught outdoors after dark.
- Base map: A base map is simply a map that is permanently stored in the GPS’s memory. This is usually not a high-definition or highly detailed map, but it does display major highways and terrain features like rivers and lakes. This makes the task of finding a specific location a lot easier and can help you avoid major obstacals. Basic GPS units without base maps simply display Speed, Bearing (Direction of travel), Distance traveled, and Distance to your destination.
- Topo (topographical) Map: An important thing to remember when geocaching is that your GPS points the direction to your destination in a straight line, or as “the crow flies”. It’s not like a car GPS that takes into account the roads you are traveling on and displays how much further you need to go. If you have to climb any hills or detour around a pond or lake the actual distance you need to walk can be a lot more than what your GPS is indicating. A topo map will allow you to see these obsticals ahead of time and save you a lot of time and energy.
- Computer Interface: Most new gps for geocaching can be linked to a personal computer through a USB cable. The more expensive models can also link up through a wireless network or a Bluetooth connection. Being able to connect to your computer will allow you to download cache coordinates and other details directly onto your GPS at the click of a button. It can be quite time-consuming to enter all those coordinates into your GPS by hand and if you happen to make a mistake you’ll never locate the cache.
- Waypoint Saving: This function allows you to store a specific location (waypoint) within your GPS unit’s memory. Regular storage of waypoint can enhance your safety in challenging terrain as it will enable you to retrace your steps back to your original location. Most modern GPS units allow you to store waypoints. Some geocaching GPS units include a ‘Track Log’ feature that allows you to use previous waypoints as ‘breadcrumbs’ to find your way to where you started. The best gps for geocaching will have an ‘Auto Tracking’ function that will automatically store waypoints without your having to need to remember to mark them yourself. At the very minimum you will want to mark a waypoint at the location you parked.
- Memory: The best geocaching GPS devices use microSD cards for storing maps and geocache locations. The microSD cards are also great if you decide you want to go geocaching in another part of the country, (or the world) you can store all of your new maps and geocache coordinates on a spare card and simply swap it out for the card you normally use.
Here is a small list of some of the options available on geocaching gps units
- Paperless caching: Allows you to store cache coordinates, descriptions, and notes on your GPS so there is no need to take along paper printouts with you.
- Aerial and Satellite Imagery Maps: These highly detailed maps allow you to see just where it is that you are geocaching
- Built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass: Older GPS units that had electronic compasses built into them required that you hold your GPS level to obtain a correct reading, the new 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass make it easier to get a correct reading.
- Barometric altimeter: Allows you to check your elevation levels at a glance
- Wireless Capability: Allows you to share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with other compatible device users
- Touch Screen: A touch screen can be quite helpful for navigating maps quickly.
- Built In Camera: Never worry again about forgetting to bring you camera along.
When considering the best GPS for geocaching, be sure to consider all the available features. While a basic GPS is certainly less expensive, it might be in your best interest to purchase a more expensive unit that has all the features you want, rather than settling for a lower end model which could lead to disappointing results and require upgrading later.
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What Is Geocaching?
August 1, 2011 By 1 Comment
What is Geocaching? Geocaching is a fun and rewarding treasure hunting adventure where participants worldwide hide and find “caches” using hand held GPSr (Global Positioning System Receiver) units. Ask any geocacher and they’ll tell you that there is nothing like the excitement of your first successful find.
The word “geocache” was derived from “Geo”, meaning Earth, and “Cache” (pronounced cash), a French word for a place where supplies are hidden. So geocaches are like supplies (or in our case, goodies) that are hidden all over the world and geocaching is the hobby of finding them.
Before the word “geocaching” was invented it was called “stash hunting”. On May 3, 2000, Dave Ulmer, a computer consultant, became the “father” of geocaching when he hid the very first “stash” in a wooded area near Beaver Creek, Oregon. The stash contained a logbook, a can of beans, mapping software, five dollars in cash, and a slingshot. Previous to May 2000 the GPSr’s that were available to the public didn’t have the accuracy needed to hunt small things like a stash. Ulmer hid his stash and posted the coordinates on a USENET group and called it the “GPS Stash Hunt”.
One of the first people to find the “stash” was Mike Teague. After finding Ulmer’s “stash” he wrote about it on his website and started a mailing list where members could receive locations of new stashes. One of the members of the mailing list was a guy by the name of Mike Stum. Stum is credited with inventing the word “geocaching” which soon became the universal term for the hobby.
Not only is geocaching fun, but it’s a great family activity that provides excitement, exercise, and fresh air. Kids love it and with over 1 million caches hidden around the world there are probably many close to your home. On our own geocaching adventures we found things close to home that we never knew existed. Geocaching is not just for people who live close to the great outdoors. You can find caches in small town and large cities as well. Many geocachers also include geocaching on their vacations, giving them an opportunity to search for caches that would be too far away during their regular outings.
Geocachers are an inventive bunch of people and have placed caches just about any place you could think of, even underwater. That’s part of the fun for cache hiders and seekers alike, making them challenging for both the mind and the body. Some geocaches even require you to have a boat or climbing gear to get to their location. One geocache that my sons and I found was sealed with a chain and a combination lock so we had to search the area for the lock combination. Another one we found was located in a swamp inside of a huge frog lawn ornament. The cache owner had appropriately named his cache as “Frog Bog”.
If you decide to try geocaching you’ll most likely come across fellow geocachers during some of your hunts. You won’t find a nicer bunch of people, members of the geocaching community are always happy to share tips and advice and you’ll learn a lot from them. Just about every geocacher or family that geocaches together has a nickname. My two sons and I are “Da3Amigos”. In case you’re wondering why it’s “Da” instead of “The” it’s because at the time my sons where fond of saying “duh” when they were making fun of each other.
When looking for caches you’ll need to learn to think outside of the box. When you reach the general location of a new geocache, also know as ground zero, start by looking for things that just don’t seem right. Some caches will be easy to spot while others will require some additional hunting, don’t be too disappointed if your first geocaching adventure ends in a “DNF” (did not find). It’s happened to all of us.(and still does..lol) On the other hand maybe you’ll be one of the lucky “FTF” (first to find) geocachers and you’ll get a change to grab a special gift that a lot of cache owners leave for the first person to find their “hidden treasure”.
Finally, I suggest you make your first geocaching adventure an easy one if you have kids. After they’ve successfully found their first geocache they’ll be anxious to go again and you can start searching for more difficult caches.
I wish you happy hunting and many successful finds on your geocaching adventures, have fun and respect the environment!
Now you’ll be able to answer your friends when they ask you “what is geocaching?”
Geocaching Terminology
August 1, 2011 By 1 Comment
Just like cell phone texting, geocaching enthusiasts have developed a set of abbreviations to minimize the amount space and time required when signing logs or logging a geocache online.
Here are some of the most popular terms you will see in geocache descriptions and logs
- BYOP – Bring your own pen/pencil. Some caches are just to small for the cache owner to include these so they will note it in the cache description as a reminder. Of course you should always remember to take along a pencil or pen (with waterproof ink) just in case.
- Cache – Geocache
- Cacher – Geocacher
- Caching – Geocaching
- CITO – Cache In, Trash Out. Most geocachers practice this and a lot of geocaching club even sponsor CITO outings. Help protect the environment and the hobby by practicing this yourself
- Coin – Geocoin
- DNF – Did Not Find
- FTF – First To Find – the first person to find a new cache
- Geocache – a container hidden that includes at the very minimum, a logbook for geocachers to sign
- Geocaching – a worldwide treasure hunt game. Geocachers can place a geocache, pinpoint its location using a GPS and then share the geocache’s description and location online
- GeoCoin – a special coin placed in geocaches. Geocachers can buy custom made coins and place them in their caches. Many geocoins are trackable (see the definition below) and intended to travel around the world. However some are intended as collectibles and are highly sought after
- GPSR – Global Positioning System Receiver – this is actually the correct term for the GPS we all use
- Ground Zero – the immediate area around a cache
- GZ – abbreviation for Ground Zero
- Hints – some cache owners will leave encrypted hints in the cache description for people that are having a hard time locating a cache. If this is the case they cache seeker can spend a few minutes decrypting the hint to get some extra help
- Hitchhiker – an item that is placed in a cache, and has instructions to travel to other caches. Sometimes they have logbooks attached so you can log their travels
- Left – when a geocacher leaves something in a cache they might note this in the log. Ex: left deck of cards (you may also see L-deck of cards)
- Log – Log Book (or log sheet)
- Muggle – Non-geocacher (this is derived from the Harry Potter series where non-magicians are called ‘muggles’) Muggles have been know to take or destroy geocaches so always try to avoid revealing cache locations to muggles!
- Multi – Multi Cache – geocaches that require more than one set of coordinates to reach the the final cache destination
- PnG (P&G) – Park and Grab these are geocaches that are located close to a parking area and can be obtained quickly
- Sig Item – Signature Item - many geocachers have personalized items that they leave in caches. A few examples include pencils, dog tags, business cards, and poker chips
- SL: Signed Log – used when the geocacher visited the cache and signed its logbook
- Spoiler- a picture showing the cache location or an entry into your log online
- STF – Second To Find
- Swag – Stuff we all get, items left in a geocache for trading
- TB – Travel bug, a trackable (see the definition below) item left in geocaches and meant to travel from one cache to another
- TFTC – Thanks For The Cache
- TFTH – Thanks For The Hide, a variation on TFTC
- TNLN – Took Nothing Left Nothing
- Took – when a geocacher takes something from a cache they might note this in the log. Ex: took key chain (you may also see T-keychain) One of the rules of geocaching is: if you take something, leave something, if you have nothing to trade just sign the log and leave
- Trackable – items left in geocaches that can be tracked online, trackables like Geocoins and Travel Bugs have individual serial numbers so the owner and fellow geocachers can track their travels. If you find and take a trackable make sure that you can move it to another cache within a reasonable amount of time, if you can’t then leave it in the cache for another geocacher to find
- Travel Bug Hotel – these are special caches that are designed just for travel bugs. Many time they are located close to major airports so that the travel bug has a better chance of moving around the word
Happy Geocaching!
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Geocaching – Our First Adventure
July 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
My sons and I started geocaching in February 2008. Of course being from New Jersey this was probably not the best time to start.
I first heard about geocaching from my brother. He and his kids had tried it and he told me how much they all enjoyed it. It sounded like fun and since I was looking for a way my sons and I could spend more quality time together, I started doing more research on it.
I spent quite awhile researching geocaching gps units and finally decided on the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx. At the time (and still is) it was rated one of the best gps units for geocaching and I liked the fact that it could keep track of cache locations and finds and could also be used in my car and boat.
So after talking it over with my sons, I ordered our new geocaching gps and when it arrived I played with it and thought I knew everything I needed to know about it. (boy way I wrong…LOL)
I joined as a premium member at Geocaching.com and found some caches that were close to home and entered them into the gps. I printed out the descriptions and hints just in case we needed them and we decided we would head out the next morning and try it out.
Well, as luck would have it we got about 6 inches of snow that night. Undaunted, and excited about finding our first geocache treasure, we decided that since it was close to home we would give it a try. I drove to the park where the geocache was hidden and we got out and turned on the gps.
For anyone not familiar with the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx, it comes with an electronic compass and you have to calibrate the compass before you use it. Which leads us to the next part of our first geocaching adventure. I looked at the map on the gps and then put it in compass mode. The compass is very nice, it has a nice big display and an arrow that points you in the right direction.
So off went blindly following the compass to the far side of the parking lot. Eager to try all the functions on our new gps, I switched back to map view and noticed we were actually getting farther away from the geocache! What the heck was wrong with this thing, the compass is saying go this way and the map was saying go the other way! Looking at the compass something didn’t seem right. It said we were going North but looking at the sun it seemed like we were headed East. Right about that time I remembered reading something about calibrating the compass.
Luckily I had brought the manual along (hey Dad isn’t a total dummy) and found the page about calibrating the compass. All I had to do was hold the gps level and spin slowly in a circle 2 times which wasn’t a big deal, but you should have seen the strange looks I was getting from people wondering why this big dummy was turning around in circles in the parking lot!
Finally the compass and the gps map were agreeing and off we trekked across the field which was covered in 6″ of new snow. So far, so good until we came to the brook that we needed to cross. It was fairly deep and hadn’t frozen over so we needed to find a shallow spot where we could cross. At this point I should probably note that we drove across the bridge that goes over this brook on our way into the park.
We continued on with our geocaching quest and soon came upon a nice little parking area. The same one we had passed on the way into the park…lol and finally ended up in the woods, the compass and gps still agreeing we were headed the right way. A little more walking and we were at ground zero. (finally) I told the boys to start looking for hiding areas and things that might give us a clue to the location of our awaiting treasure.
There we were in was heavily wooded and with the trees still covered in fresh snow we were getting some gps bounce. So I tried walking back and forth from different directions to get a good average reading. Of course by now my youngest son was getting tired and cold and wanted to give up.
So in a last ditch effort to find the cache I pulled out the cache description and we decrypted the hint. It said the cache was located at the base of a fallen tree. So we went to the nearest one and started brushing the snow away. My oldest son found a small hole and reached inside and had his hand on our bounty! Just one problem, it was frozen in place. Luckily I had brought a knife along so we were able to free the geocache from it’s location.
We signed the log, exchanged some swag and re-hid the cache. Of course if anyone else was looking for it that weekend that would have an easier time finding than we did, thanks to our tracks leading right to it.
We headed back to the parking lot, which was 1/2 mile away from the nice parking lot where we should have parked and headed home to log our first find.
I’m happy to report that we haven’t had any similar problems with the compass, because now Dad always makes sure it’s calibrated before we head out 
If you would like to share your first geocaching adventure please feel welcome!
Happy Geocaching!
What Do I Need To Go Geocaching?
July 29, 2011 By 4 Comments
What Do I Need To Go Geocaching?
Of course the first thing you’ll need for Geocaching a geocaching GPS device.
Prices for a geocaching GPS start from around $50.00 for a basic model and can run up to over $500.00 for more high end GPS models. There are also geocaching apps available for most smart phones that are available for free or for low cost that you can obtain (see details below) that will give you a feel for whether or not you really want to get into the geocaching hobby. If you have a car gps that will work on batteries and allows you to enter GPS coordinates you can go that route as well.
Just keep in mind that cellphones and car gps units aren’t durable like a handheld geocaching gps, so you risk damaging them.
The Apisphere Geomate jr. is the easiest and quickest way to get in on the geocaching fun; just switch it on and be directed to your closest geocache! With over 250,000 pre-loaded cache locations covering all 50 U.S. states, you and your family could be out enjoying your own adventure before the packaging even hits the floor.
Apisphere Geomate jr. Features
- Cache Hints – get hints like the size,how well it’s hidden, and the terrain
- Get Lost Proof – after charging off into the woods, Geomate.jr will get you home
- Found Log – want to review the caches you have found? No worries…
- Back to Basics – and if you wanted the basic stuff like compass, latitude, longitude,and elevation, then you’ve got it!
The Garmin GPSMAP 62s is probably the best geocaching gps unit on the market and is backed by a 1 Year warranty.
Garmin GPSMAP 62s Features
- Rugged handheld navigator 2.6-inch, sunlight-readable TFT display with 160 x 240 pixel resolution
- Built-in worldwide basemap with shaded relief; download Garmin Connect photos for picture navigation
- Built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass and barometric altimeter for bearing and altitude
- Share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with other compatible Garmin device users
- 1.7G of onboard memory and microSD card slot for adding a wide array of topographic, marine and road maps
The gps that we use is the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx, when I bought mine in 2008 it was the best rated handheld gps available. It is waterproof, has a ton of features including dedicated geocaching function. I also use it in my car and my boat. I replaced the 64MB Micro SD card with a 1GB card and have more storage than I’ll ever need. I love the electronic compass which points in the direction of my next cache and makes it easier to stay on track. When we get close to ground zero it switches over to display how close we are to the cache.
Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Features
- High-sensitivity GPS receiver gives you improved satellite reception even in heavy tree cover or deep canyons
- Barometric altimeter provides extremely accurate elevation data
- Electronic compass can determine your heading and direction, even when you’re standing still
- IPX7 waterproof case can withstand an accidental dunk in the water and still perform
- Large, color TFT display makes viewing the screen easy, day or nightBuilt-in Americas autoroute basemap, including highways, exits and automatic, turn-by-turn directions
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you can buy a kit from Magellan that turns it into a waterproof GPS unit. ToughCase is waterproof to IPX-7 standards allowing your device to be submersed in water (up to one meter for thirty minutes) and shock resistant. The unique case design allows you to interact with your device while it remains protected from the elements, including the touch screen, hard buttons, and audio headphone jack access. The integrated high sensitivity GPS chip set enhances the accuracy of most GPS, location based, or navigation apps. Extend your iPhone or iPod touch’s versatility by transforming it into a handheld GPS receiverToughCase has an integrated battery that transfers power to your iPhone or iPod touch. Enjoy twice as much power in the outdoors!
Here are some geocaching apps you can find for free, or low cost for Windows Mobile devices, iPhone, and Android phones
Windows Mobile:
- GCzII – available at Nicque.com
iPhone:
- Groundspeak’s Geocaching iPhone Application – available at iTunes
Android Phones
- GeoBeagle – available at Appbrain.com
The next thing you’ll want to do is join Geocaching.com they are the original and still the best site for geocaching information and finding cache locations. Basic membership is free and premium memberships are only $10/3 mths or $30/year. I have, and highly recommend the premium membership. It’s well worth the small investment.
You’ll want to make sure that you have good, sturdy hiking shoes. I prefer waterproof hiking boots as they support my ankles and allow you to get through wet areas without getting your feet wet.
Finally you need a few other things, depending on how advanced you are. A few of the items in the list are just my personal choices and as you’ll notice there are a few you should take on every geocaching outing.
I have a backpack that I keep ready just for geocaching and here what I keep in it:
- Pen with waterproof ink for signing logs
- Tweezers – for pulling out splinters and getting log sheets out of nano and micro caches
- Spare GPS batteries
- Print outs of cache descriptions and coordinates
- Bug spray
- Camera – you’ll want to document your geocaching adventures and you’ll never know what wildlife you’ll come across and want to capture a picture
- Hand wipes – yes you will get dirty, and if the kids are along and snacking you wish you had them
- Binoculars
- First aid kit
- Flashlight
- Water – the most important thing to bring along
- Snacks – especially if you bring kids along
- Trash bags for CITO – Good geocachers practice CITO (cache in – trash out) it helps both the environment and the community
- Duct tape – great for temporary repairs of damaged caches you find
- Assorted Zip Lock bags – if you come across a damaged cache you can help protect the cache owner’s log
- Rope
- Disposable rain ponchos – worth their weight in gold. You know the weatherman always lies
- Bear repellant – if you are caching in an area known to have bears it’s good insurance
- Last but not least you need some SWAG (stuff we all get) if you want to trade, if you take something – leave something. Some ideas for SWAG included, small toys like matchbox cars or happy meal toys, pencils, pens, batteries (put them in a ziplock bag in case they leak), coins (coins from other countries make great SWAG), waterproof match containers,empty film canisters, and playing cards. I keep some 1 dollar bills in case i run out. Later if you really get into geocaching you may want to think about, geocoins, travel bugs, and cache buddies (I’ll discuss this more when I write about caches)
One final note: Never leave anything hazardous or sharp in a geocache and never leave any kind of food as it can attract critters that will destroy a cache.
Happy Geocaching!
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- what kind of gps do you need in the woods
- what is a geocaching
- DO I HAVE TO BUY MAP ON MAGELLAN GEOCACHE IS SMALL NEED MORE
- things i need to go geocaching
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